Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 23
- Location
- Hurricane, West Virginia
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building or Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building; Theft of Government Property (less than $1,000) [a sign]
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Gracyn Courtright, a senior at the University of Kentucky studying mathematical economics, posted photographs of herself in Washington outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Under one photograph of herself, she wrote: “can’t wait to tell my grandkids I was here!” Court documents say she was wearing a hat that was so distinctive, it allowed investigators to track her throughout the Capitol. She was seen entering the building through a door near the West Senate Stairs at 2:42 p.m. About 15 minutes later, cameras caught her on the second floor, near the Senate chamber, carrying a “Members Only” sign. A law enforcement officer took the sign away from her a few moments later, just before she left the building. The FBI was provided with screenshots of a direct message between Courtright and a friend on Instagram. It included a video of Courtright chanting as she went through the halls of the Capitol. Her friend asked whether she was there, and Courtright responded by saying that she walked into “the chamber like the Senate where desks are.” “It wasn’t violent like the news said, I took pictures all in the building,” the message began. “I never saw the violence i guess I was lucky. The cops like let’s (sic) us walk in.” Shortly before her Instagram account was deactivated around Jan. 7, she wrote below a selfie: “Infamy is just as good as fame. Either way I end up more known. XOXO.”
Case History
Courtright pleaded Guilty to one charge: Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds. The other charges were dismissed. Sentenced 12/17/2021 to 30 days in jail, followed by 12 months of Supervised Release; 60 hours community service; $500 restitution; and Special Assessment of $25. Courtright received a full pardon on January 20, 2025
Sources
- Primary Documentation
NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR - Primary Documentation
Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.